Battery compartment for power tools

ABSTRACT

A housing for power tools such as chainsaws, blowers, trimmers or hedge trimmers. The housing has a front end, at which a tool of the power tool is attached. The housing further includes a rear end and a top side. A battery compartment is provided at the top side of the housing and extends inside the housing and has a shape adapted to receive a battery. The shape is essentially cuboidal and has a rectangular cross section looking at the top side of the housing. The short sides of the rectangular cross section are substantially parallel with the rear end and the front end of the housing.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to housings that are used forpower tools, such as chainsaws, trimmers, hedge trimmers and the like.Especially, the present invention relates to a battery compartmentprovided in the housing for power tools.

BACKGROUND ART

During the last decades, battery-driven power tools such as chainsaws,trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc. have become more and more popular due tothe development of more efficient batteries. However, the more powerfulbatteries are bulkier, which may cause problems when designing thehousing of the power tools, and especially the battery compartmentprovided in the housing.

The bulkiness of the battery may lead to a bulkiness of the housing,which in turn may lead to power tools that are more difficult tomaneuver. Maneuverability in turn is a safety aspect, since many powertools may cause severe injuries if handled in a wrong way.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,359 discloses a battery-operated chainsaw, whereinthe battery is located at one side of a frame of the chainsaw. Thepurpose of the placement of the battery is to provide a center ofgravity for the chainsaw that is located at least partially beneath orin front of a front handle. The front handle is formed by the frame thatalso forms a rear handle. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,359, the chainsaw is ofthe type were the battery is attached direct towards a frame and notinto a battery compartment. Such battery compartments in prior art maybe placed at different positions of the housing.

Thus, there is a need for a battery compartment that does not buildbulkiness to the housing of power tools in order to increase themaneuverability and thereby the safety of the power tool.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to accomplish a housing for powertools with a battery compartment that does not contribute to thebulkiness of the housing and that makes the power tool easier tomaneuver. A further object with the present invention is to provide abattery compartment into which it is easy to insert and release abattery.

According to one aspect of the present invention this is accomplished bya housing for a power tool, having a front end, at which front end atool of the power tool is attached, a rear end and a top side. A batterycompartment is provided at the top side of the housing, the batterycompartment extending inside the housing and having a shape adapted toreceive a battery. The shape is essentially cuboidal and has arectangular cross section when looking at the top side of the housingand the short sides of the rectangular cross section are substantiallyparallel with the rear end and the front end of the housing.

In one embodiment, the battery compartment is skewed backwards towardsthe rear end with an angle of between 5 to 30 degrees in relation to anaxis that is perpendicular to the top side of the housing, preferablythe angle is between 7 and 15 degrees.

In another embodiment, the housing further comprises a release buttonarranged to eject the battery from the battery compartment duringremoval of the battery.

Furthermore, a gasket may be provided between the battery compartmentand the battery, such that the battery compartment is sealed.

Providing the battery compartment such that the short sides of therectangular cross section of the battery compartment are substantiallyparallel with the rear end and the front end of the housing makes itpossible to reduce the width of the housing and thereby design a slimmerpower tool. The advantage with a slimmer power tool is that it ispossible to have the power tool closer to the body during operationthereof. This makes the power tool easier to manoeuvre and thusincreases the safety of the power tool.

Another advantage according to embodiments of the present invention isthat the battery compartment is skewed backwards towards the rear endwith an angle in relation to an axis that is perpendicular to the topside of the housing. This makes it easy for an operator of the powertool to insert and release the battery from the battery compartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view from above of a housing for power tools.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the housing for power tools.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a chainsaw having a housing according toone embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a trimmer having a housing according toone embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following, a detailed description of a housing for power toolsaccording to embodiments of the present invention will be presented.

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 a housing 2 for power tools isshown. FIG. 1 shows the housing 2 from a view above and FIG. 2 shows thehousing 2 in a side view. The housing 2 comprises a front end 4, atwhich a tool 20 of the power tool is attached. The tool 20 isschematically indicated with dotted lines and will be very differentdepending on the type of power tool that is used. In context of thisapplication a power tool is a tool that is used primarily in the gardenor sometimes also in the forest and is driven or powered by a battery.Examples of such power tools may be, chainsaws, blowers, trimmers, hedgetrimmers etc.

Now returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 where the housing 2 further comprisesa rear end 16 and a top side 18. A battery compartment 14 is provided atthe top side 18 of the housing 2 and extends inside the housing. Theextension of the battery compartment 14 is indicated by dotted lines inFIG. 2. The shape of the battery compartment 14 is adapted to receive abattery 6. In general, the shape of the battery compartment 14 isessentially cuboidal with an essentially rectangular cross sectionlooking at the top side 18 of the housing 2. One very important featureof the present invention is that the short sides 22 of the rectangularcross section are substantially parallel with the rear end 16 and thefront end 4 of the housing 2. This makes it possible to design a slimmerhousing 2, i.e. a housing 2 having a small width W. Having a housingwith a small width W is advantageous sines it allows the power tool tocome closer to the body of a user during operation of the power tool.This makes the power tool easier to manoeuvre and thus safer.

In FIG. 1 the battery 6 is provided with power indicator lamps 8 thatindicate the remaining power in the battery 6, when a power check button10 is pushed. Furthermore, the housing may also be provided with arelease button 12, which when pushed ejects the battery 6 out of thebattery compartment 14, such that a user may extract the battery 6 fromthe battery compartment 14 and replace the battery 6.

As is evident from FIG. 2, the battery compartment 14 is skewedbackwards towards the rear end 16 with an angle α of between 5 to 30degrees in relation to an axis A that is perpendicular to the top side18 of the housing 2. The skewing is advantageous since the angle makesit easier for an operator to insert and extract the battery 6 from thebattery compartment 14. In a preferred embodiment, the skewing angle αmay be in the range of 7 and 15 degrees.

In another embodiment, the housing 2 may also be provided with a gasket24 that is provided between the battery compartment 14 and the battery 6when the battery 6 is inserted in the battery compartment 14, such thatthe battery compartment 14 is sealed.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show two implementations of the present invention,wherein the housing 2 is used for two different power tools, i.e. achainsaw in FIG. 3 and trimmer in FIG. 4. As can be seen the battery 6is skewed making it easy for a user to access and exchange the battery6.

Although, the present invention has been described above with referenceto specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to thespecific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only bythe accompanying claims.

In the claims, the term “comprises/comprising” does not exclude thepresence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individuallylisted, a plurality of means or elements may be implemented by e.g. asingle unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features maybe included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously becombined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that acombination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. Inaddition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”,“an”, “first”, “second” etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signsin the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall notbe construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A housing for a power tool, the housing having frontend, at which front end a tool of the power tool is attached, a rear endand a top side, wherein a battery compartment is provided at the topside of the housing, the battery compartment extending inside thehousing and having a shape adapted to receive a battery, said shapebeing essentially cuboidal and having a rectangular cross sectionlooking at the top side of the housing and wherein the short sides ofthe rectangular cross section are substantially parallel with the rearend and the front end of the housing.
 8. The housing according to claim7, wherein the battery compartment is skewed backwards towards the rearend with an angle (α) of between 5 to 30 degrees in relation to an axis(A) that is perpendicular to the top side of the housing.
 9. The housingaccording to claim 8, wherein the angle (α) is between 7 and 15 degrees.10. The housing according to claim 7, wherein the housing furthercomprises a release button arranged to eject the battery from thebattery compartment during removal of the battery.
 11. The housingaccording to claim 7, wherein a gasket is provided between the batterycompartment and the battery, such that the battery compartment issealed.
 12. The housing according to claim 7, wherein the housing isadapted to be part of a chainsaw, a blower, a trimmer or a hedgetrimmer.